


The Way of Walking Together

by Ukkotzop



Category: Kino no Tabi | Kino's Journey - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Bonding, Gen, Gun Violence, Implied Relationships, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-19 03:07:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29868204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ukkotzop/pseuds/Ukkotzop
Summary: After an eventful journey to a beautiful city, Kino and Hermes end up taking on another passenger. With no knowledge of the world outside, they must mentor him in the ways of travel and survival. In the process, however, Kino herself will end up learning more about the world.
Relationships: Kino (Kino no Tabi) and Original Character
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please not that this is a work in progress. Any feedback or criticism would be greatly appreciated.

\--Obscurity--

Kino double-checked her map. She was fairly certain she went the right way, but felt that she should have arrived in the country by now. Kino decided to stop and double check her directions. She tried to get a vantage point so she could check with her binoculars, but the view around was obscured by tall trees. 

“How much longer do you think we’ll be going, Hermes?”

“According to that sign, we’re ten kilometres away.”

“Sign, which sign? I don’t see anything.”

“It’s right next to that big rock.”

Kino turned to look where Hermes had indicated. It took a few seconds, but she finally made out an old, heavily corroded sign which was halfway eaten by the undergrowth. Now assured that they were one the right path, Kino hopped on Hermes and continued on.

“How is anyone supposed to see that?!” Kino asked, rather annoyed.

“No wonder we don’t know where we are. How many signs have we missed?”

Hermes interrupted her rambling: “We’re there, Kino.”

The woods thinned as the pair came up on a large wall. By the looks of things, it seemed to stretch around in a massive circle. A guard post and gate were situated where the wall met the road. The area itself looked rather dilapidated; the exterior was overgrown and some parts were already reclaimed by wilderness.

Hermes was not feeling very confident. “Do you think anyone’s there? With how dilapidated the road was, I’m not sure anyone’s ever been out there for years.”

“I don’t know. We might as well go and check.”

As they approached the gate, Kino spotted a figure in the booth.

“No, wait, I see somebody. Come on, let’s see what’s up with this place.”

The two pulled up to the gate, where they were greeted by a guard.

“Greetings, traveler! Are you here to visit our beautiful nation?”

“I thought that was fairly obvious, but yes, we are here to visit.”

“Fantastic. Wait, you said “we”. Do you have someone with you?”

“Me and my motorrad. That makes two.”

The guard looked quite happy, and leaned over to Kino.

“Amazing! We’re so glad to have some more visitors! We don’t get them very often.”

Hermes interrupted with a snide remark: “Really? We couldn’t tell.”

The guard went back into his booth and snapped a picture of Kino. He then printed out and handed over two identical cards.

“These are all you’ll need here. It is of vital importance that you do not lose them. Protect them like you would your life.”

Kino thanked the guard, and then the gate opened. As Kino and Hermes drove in, they were greeted by a beautiful city full of Baroque and Rococo buildings. Its wide avenues were spotless.

Hermes was amazed by what he saw. “Wow Kino, this is amazing! And to think it looked like a deserted ghost town from the outside. This truly is a diamond in the rug.”

“I think you meant “diamond in the rough”.”

“Ah, that’s it!”

It was truly a marvelous sight. The city was easily one of the most beautiful they had visited. In contrast to the deserted wilderness surrounding it, the city was full of people. Kino found their dress to be particularly interesting. Most were dressed rather old-fashionedly, fitting the overall fairytale feel of the city. There were others, however. Some were dressed rather plainly, some were dressed like the guard she saw earlier, but what really caught her eye was the robes a select few wore. Ornately decorated, all of them had a symbol which resembled a glowing eye. As she looked further around the city, the symbol popped up in more and more places.

The next thing that caught Kino’s attention was a large structure further down the road. Hermes took note of how large it looked, even with the distance. He estimated it to be around 50 metres tall, give or take a few. From the distance, the two were again able to make out a massive eye symbol in the middle. As they got closer and closer, they began to run into a crowd. From the distance, they could hear a voice booming from the structure. Even though it was loud enough to hear from afar, the words were unintelligible. Regardless, the crowd seemed intent on listening, even from the very back.

“The crowd’s too thick, Kino. I can’t fit through.

Kino and Hermes had no choice but to stop. They tried listening, but still neither could make out a single word. At last, a few minutes later, the speaker finished up. The crowd erupted in rapturous applause, before proceeding to disperse, and surprisingly quickly as well. Within a minute, the streets were clear enough to ride through.

“Hey Kino, let’s go see what all that was about.” 

Kino hopped back onto Hermes and began to drive towards the tower.


	2. Chapter 2

\--Surprises--

It didn’t take Kino and Hermes long to arrive. With the streets clear, their speed was unrestricted. Before long, they were stood in a massive square. Oddly, it was surrounded by giant television screens, which were incongruent with the overall baroque feel. In the centre was what appeared to resemble a giant needle. A large circle was impaled halfway through, and a small platform was at the top. Kino looked up to the top, and then slowly back down. By the time her gaze reached the base, she noticed a door at the bottom, which began to slowly open. Out walked a group of three men, wearing the same ornate robes she saw on the street. To her surprise, one of the men looked at her, smiled, and then began to walk over.

“My humblest greetings, blessed traveler. It is my greatest honour to welcome you to our beautiful nation.” 

“How did you know I was a traveler?”

“It’s quite simple. I know everyone who enters and leaves the walls. We don’t get many travelers here, so it was hard to forget your face. May I see your card, please?”

Kino handed the man one of her cards.

“Excellent, thank you. And-ah, what’s this? You’re staying for three days?”

“Yes sir.”

“Absolutely perfect! That means you’re going to be just in time to witness our nation’s greatest tradition! You see, our city is one of the most prosperous in the world. All of the beauty you see here is thanks to our overseer.”

“Overseer? Can you tell me about them?”

“I would like nothing more. See, the overseer isn’t a person. They are the guardian deity which watches over us all. The city was founded many centuries ago. The story goes that our founder was visited in her dream by the overseer. They led her and her family to this very spot, and commanded her to found a city. By our overseer’s grace and guidance, the founder, through hard work and perseverance, turned a backwater woodland into the most beautiful cities in the world. Since then, everyone who lives here is blessed with unimaginable luck.”

“Huh, that’s interesting,” remarked Kino, “I consider myself somewhat of a lucky person.”

“Ah! Perhaps then you have been touched by our overseers grace? Maybe it was divine fate which brought you here. Anyways, in order to thank our gracious guardian, and ensure luck for the next year, we hold a grand ceremony every year. This year’s ceremony is in three days' time.”

“I see. In that case, I’d love to see it before we leave town. Anyway, I’m going to have to get going. Do you mind if I ask you something?”

“It would be my pleasure to assist you.”

“Do you know where we can find somewhere to stay?”

“There’s an inn right down that street. You’ll see the sign when you get there; you can’t miss it.”

“I see. Then, in that case, we shall be heading there. Thank you for your assistance.”

“It is my pleasure. May you be graced with everlasting luck.”

Kino and Hermes headed down the street. They passed by row after row of shops, but before long, they spotted the inn. Kino found a space in front, then proceeded to maneuver Hermes into it and fold out his kickstand.

“I’ll be right back. I’m going to see what this place is like.”

Kino headed inside the inn. The interior lacked the striking opulence of the rest of the city, but it still by any means had a cozy atmosphere. She didn’t see anyone inside, but there was a reception desk with a bell. Kino walked over and rang the bell, but there was no response. She rang the bell again. Still no response. Frustrated, Kino decided to try something else.

“Hello, is anyone there?”

Finally, she heard footsteps approaching from the upstairs. They were quite rapid. Within seconds, a young boy rushed down the stairs and into the lobby, followed by an older woman. The boy was panting and visibly exhausted.

“M-my ap-apologies…” the boy tried to stammer out, but he was shushed by the woman.

“That’s fine, no need to worry. I’ll take it from here. Good evening, traveler. Welcome to our inn. I must apologise for the delay. Normally we’d have more people working here. Unfortunately, it seems the rest of them came down with some kind of bug. As a result, we’re running with only two people at the moment. Please excuse the inconvenience.”

“Not a problem at all, ma’am, I understand. I’d like to get a room for two nights. I also have a motorrad with me. Would he fit?”

The woman was taken aback by the odd request, but did her best to see it through anyway. “We’ve never had someone ask for something like this before, but we can certainly try! You mustn’t do it alone, though.”

It took some effort, but the woman, the boy, and Kino managed to lift Hermes up the stairs and into the room. Once they finished, Kino took a look at the room itself. It wasn’t too small, but it definitely wasn’t big either. Whilst the décor was old fashioned, it was clearly taken care of. Kino sat down on the bed and began to relax.

“Is there anything else we can help you with?”

“How would you like me to pay?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, dear, everything’s on us. After all, you’re one of the first outsiders we have in a long time. We want to make sure everything’s as easy as possible for you.”

“Thanks ma’am!”

“Would you care to join us for dinner?”

“I must apologise, but I’m feeling very tired. Perhaps tomorrow?”

“I’d love to. Good night!”

“Good night.”

“A free hotel room. Huh, maybe I am blessed with luck.”

Kino began to get herself ready for the evening. She was too tired to move anywhere, but she wasn’t ready to go to sleep quite yet. Sitting next to Hermes, they began to plan the rest of their stay. The two decided to go shopping and see the sights of the city.

“So, how’d you like the city, Kino?”

“The city itself is beautiful. But the people, there’s something...off about them. Something I can’t quite put my finger on. The innkeeper seems nice enough, but the others… I don’t know. Anyways, let’s get some sleep. We’ve got a lot to do tomorrow.”


	3. Chapter 3

\--Revelation--

It was morning. Kino, more tired than usual from her journey, slept in. It was around 10:30 when she finally woke up.  
“Good morning, Hermes.”

“Good morning Kino, are you feeling rested up?”

“Yes. This bed is so comfortable that I almost don’t want to get out.”

“Well, it’s halfway to 11:00, so you may want to start moving.”

“11:00!?” Kino jumped up in surprise. “How long was I asleep?”

“Around 14 hours, give or take.”

“Ah, we’ve got to get moving, then. I want to have time to see the city.”

Kino jumped out of the bed and rushed to the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face to get herself up, and then went through an abridged version of her daily routine in order to save time. She rushed downstairs, where the innkeeper was waiting with her assistant.

“Good morning! How was your sleep?”

“It was good, thank you. Almost too good, to be honest.” Kino said, chuckling to herself.

“Music to my ears! Now, I recall that you said you wanted to see the city, is that correct?”

“That is correct.”

“In that case, would you like some help getting around?”

“That would be appreciated, thank you.”

The woman beckoned forth the younger boy. He was the same boy he saw yesterday, but until now, Kino hadn’t gotten a good chance to look at him. He was meek and unimposing, his dark hair seeming to hide his eyes. He was wearing a parka and heavy boots. He looked to be around two or so years younger than Kino.

“This is Kitan. He knows all of the good places to go around here. Don’t be shy, say hi!”

“G… greetings most esteemed traveler.”

“Just call me Kino.”

“I-I see. K-Kino, follow me. I’ll show you around.”

The group said goodbye to the innkeeper and stepped outside. Kino, having skipped dinner, was very hungry.

“Do you know any good places to eat?”

“There’s one not… very far from here, about five minutes away. I’ve been told it’s one of the best in the country.”

“That sounds great, let’s go there then. Would you like a ride.”

Kitan took a brief look at Hermes. He seemed quite nervous. “Apologies, but I, er… prefer to walk.”

“Suit yourself.”

The trio made their way down the streets. Along the way, Kitan pointed out the various landmarks and places of interest to Kino and Hermes. Being an old city, there were plenty of things to see, so their five minute walk turned into thirty. Gold-encrusted temples, ornate houses, and fascinating shop windows seemed to be on every block. Eventually, they arrived at the restaurant, situated in a grand building.

“This looks expensive.” Hermes’ remark caught Kitan off guard.

“Ah! Who said that?”

“Ah, that’s Hermes, my motorrad. He can talk.”

“I see, sorry. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hermes.”

“Likewise.”

Kino entered the restaurant and requested an outside table. A waiter came out, escorted them to their table, and sat them down. He handed Kino and Kitan their menus, and left. After much deliberation, Kino decided to try the white pizza, whilst Kitan chose a small soup. The food arrived surprisingly quickly, which gave them time to sit and chat.

“So, Kitan, if you don’t mind me asking, could you tell me a bit more about this place?”

“I’ll do my best. This city was founded quite a long time ago. Since you’re a traveler, I assume everyone you’ve met has told you the story.”

“Just one, actually.”

“Ah. Well then, I won’t repeat what you already know. What you probably haven’t been told is how things function on a day to day basis. You see, the Overseer is basically our religion. As a result, the priests are the one who run things. The original founding family still exists, but they’re mostly hands off. Though, if they want something done, it gets done.”

“Thanks for the information. I’m assuming the priests are the ones in the robes?”

“Yes, you are correct.”

Kitan seemed to be more at ease as the conversation progressed. The next question, however, caused him to tense right back up.

“So, can you tell me more about the ceremony? I’m planning to go tomorrow.”

“Don’t know. Never been to one.”

“Really? Not even a vague idea? It seems like the most important thing here.”

“Don’t know. That’s it.”

Kino could sense irritation in his voice. She decided not to press him.

“Okay then. Well, this seems like a beautiful city. You must love it here.”

“To be honest, I don’t like it here. If you’re not born into clergy or the founding family, you have few prospects in life. I don’t want to be stuck here. I know this place looks beautiful, but when you’ve been here as long as I’ve been, you start to see past the golden exterior. Honestly, if I could, I’d like to join you and see the world.”

“I’m sorry, but I prefer to travel alone.”

“I... see.”

“Don’t worry, once you get the chance, you should try traveling on your own.”

“That… isn’t-“

The boy was interrupted when the waiter returned with the cheque. The trio paid less, since Kino was a traveler.

On the way out, Kino decided to check out some of the shops which lined the streets. One which interested her in particular was an ornamental knife shop. As she spent minutes looking amongst the shop’s wares, something caught her eye. It was an intricately carved obsidian dagger, curved to resemble a big cat’s claw. As she was examining it, Kitan approached her from the side.

“Do you want that? I can get it for you?”

“Are you sure?” Kino said, rather taken aback.

“It’s fine, I don’t really have anything else to spend my money on, so it’s not like it matters to me.”

The trio purchased the knife and began to head back. It was evening when the group returned to the inn. Kitan’s hours were over, so he said goodbye and returned home. Kino and Hermes went to have dinner with the innkeeper.

“So, how do you like your stay so far?”

“It’s been fine so far. Actually, there’s a couple of things I’ve been meaning to ask you about. I tried asking Kitan earlier today, but he didn’t seem to know either. I thought you might be able to help me.”

“Go ahead, I’m all ears.”

“Why don’t you get a lot of travelers? This place is beautiful, surely more people should be visiting here.”

“That’s actually a good question, and one I do know the answer to. You see, almost nobody from this country is allowed to leave.”

“Nobody at all?”

“No. Except for a select few, we do not have the privilege to travel. Of course, foreigners can come and go as they please, so we rely on them to spread awareness by word of mouth. How did you find your way here?”

“I actually followed an old map I found in another country. Now that I think about it, the more it makes sense. The road here doesn’t look like it’s been taken care of in ages. If nobody’s allowed to go out to fix it, that would explain a lot. Do you know why you’re not allowed out?”

“Officially, it’s for our own protection, but to be honest, I doubt that. While we’re not allowed outside, we’re not completely in the dark about the outside. We actually know a lot about the surrounding area, and it does not at all seem dangerous. Besides, even if it was, we’re protected by the overseer-or so they say. I feel there’s something they’re not telling us.”

“I see, thank you for the explanation. One other thing, can you tell me more about the ceremony?”

It was at this mention that the innkeeper”s face turned pale.

“I had a bad feeling you would ask about that. I know I’m not supposed to do this, but I’m going to tell you the full truth. The ceremony is something that most travelers don’t experience. The ones that do, well… none of them ever want to return. I don’t blame them. Basically, the ceremony requires that a child be sacrificed, their stomachs cut open and then thrown off the spire in the city centre.”

“Oh my…” Kino’s blood ran cold. Despite this, in the back of her mind, it’s almost as if she expected something like this. “And Kitan doesn’t know about this?”

“He certainly does, he just didn’t want to tell you. And to be honest, I don’t see how you could blame him. To me the most disturbing part is the fact that everyone seems to accept this.The only ones who don’t are the ones who’ve lost someone to it.”

As the innkeeper said this, tears welled up in her eyes. She looked back towards what appeared to be an old photo. In it was the innkeeper hugging a young boy. Kino could tell that this wasn’t Kitan. To her, the implication was clear.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am.”

“I wish this would stop, but there’s nothing I can do. I’m just a lonely woman; I can’t change it by myself. Please, if there’s one thing you can do for me, do not go to the ceremony tomorrow. Don’t legitimise this barbarity.”

“Understood. Then we’ll be leaving first thing next morning.” Kino had finally finished. She left her seat, and began going upstairs. Before she disappeared from view, she said one last thing to the innkeeper.

“Thank you for being so open with me.”

“No, child. Thank you for listening. Good night.”

Kino reached her room, proceeding to collapse on the bed.

“I heard everything,” Hermes said, “That sounds horrible.”

“You know, Hermes, I know why the people here felt off. They remind of the people back home, the ones who tried to force the surgery on me. It’s the behaviour. They act nice, but that’s all it is, an act. If it weren’t for the innkeeper, I’d think everyone this country went through the exact same thing.” Kino paused for a moment, reflecting.

“No wonder Kitan wanted to leave this place. I hope he’s going to be ok.”


	4. Chapter 4

\--Defiance--

The following night, Kino barely got any sleep at all. She was incredibly bothered by yesterday’s revelations. When morning came, Kino and Hermes wasted no time. They hurriedly went downstairs, where the innkeeper was waiting for them.

“I suggest you hurry along, the streets will be filling up shortly.”

Kino and Hermes were about to head out the door, but right before they left, Kino turned around to say a few parting words to the innkeeper.

“Thank you ma’am, we really appreciate everything you’ve done for us.”

“Any time. This is probably a long shot, but if we ever meet again, I’d love to hear more about your travels.”

“Noted. By the way, is Kitan here? I’d like to say goodbye to him as well.”

“He doesn’t live here, but he does arrive to work around this time. He’s sometimes a little late, but he’s probably on his way right now.”

“I see, thank you.” 

Kino gave one last nod and wave before heading out the door. When she got out onto the street, it was still quite dark. Thankfully, since the streets were lit, it wouldn’t be hard to find her way out. Kino donned her overcoat, hat, and goggles. She was about to hop onto Hermes, but stopped when she heard a loud shout from behind her. When she turned around, she saw Kitan. He was being pushed against the wall by one of the priests. 

“Child, this is the most honourable fate one could wish for. No one in their right mind would refuse.”

“No! I. Don’t. Want. To. Let me go!”

Kino wasn’t the only one who noticed. The commotion had drawn a large crowd to the scene. Even the innkeeper came out to check, though her face turned white when she saw what was happening.

“You will be the reason our beautiful nation will keep prospering. Your sacrifice is necessary for the greater good! How could you possibly turn down this sacred duty?”

“If this is so great, then why don’t you let someone else do it? Someone who actually wants to?”

“You have been personally chosen by the overseer!”

“Says who? Why would they tell you instead of me? You’re lying, let me go!”

“You are going. There will be no argument.”

“MAKE ME!”

Kitan punched the man. While it didn’t have much power behind it, the punch conveyed an unacceptable defiance. The crowd, which had now grown to an impressive size, went silent. Kino, sensing the tension in the air, instinctively reached inside her overcoat, grasping the Woodsman. 

“Kino, I think we should go. This is not going to end well, and we don’t want to be caught in the middle of it.”

“No Hermes, not yet. I can’t leave now.”

Kino’s mind immediately drew parallels to the event which started her journey: that fateful day back in the Land of Adults, where the Elder Kino selflessly put himself in front of a knife to save the younger.   
Within seconds, the crowd’s silence disappeared, being replaced with angry screams.

“BLASPHEMY!”

“KILL HIM!”

Kino began to have momentary flashbacks to that day. 

“No. I know this situation. I’ve been here before. I can’t just leave him here to die.”

Within moments, the man in the robe pulled a rod out from one of his pockets. With the press of a button, the rod extended into a truncheon. 

“If we must make you, we will.”

The man lunged at Kitan, striking him in the leg. The child let out an ear-piercing yelp, which caused even the crowd to stop. 

“Kino, let’s go! Don’t try to be a hero, you’re just going to die!”

“No, I’ll stop this. I don’t need to die.”

The robed man once again raised his arm. With the truncheon raised to the sky, he was about to deliver another blow. But before he could, the air rang out with a loud “BANG”. For a few seconds, the man froze like a statue, before unceremoniously falling to the ground. Kino had killed him with a single shot to the head from Woodsman. The gun’s barrel smoked as the crowd began to panic. They formed a stampede as they fled, unsure of what had just taken place. With the threat gone, Kino beckoned to Kitan.

“It’s safe now, come over here.”

Kitan barely reacted. He didn’t say a word, but instead began pointing frantically in the other direction. Kino turned around, only to be faced with a group of ten guards. Kino readied her weapon, but she had little chance. Even with her one of a kind skills, their overwhelming numbers were too much. In the background, Kitan had momentarily regained composure. He began to fumble around the dead body.

“Hands in the air! You have nowhere to run!”

Kino raised her hands and slowly turned to look behind her. In the distance, a large, impenetrable crowd began heading their way. In Kino’s mind, she momentarily thought that this may be the day she died. That thought, however, was immediately erased by what she saw next.   
Kitan was crouching down, his fear replaced by anger. He was aiming a submachine gun which he found on the dead man’s body. Before anyone could react, the air was again pierced by a steady “RATATATAT”. A hail of bullets swept across the guards, flowing until the gun clicked. While Kitan wasn’t very accurate, he provided enough of a distraction for Kino to finish them off. He immediately turned to Kino, then yelled to her:  
“What are you waiting for, go while you still have time! They want me, just leave me and they won’t be able to catch you!”

Kino, having jumped back on Hermes, turned around and prepared to leave. Before she did, she turned to Kitan and shouted back:  
“Are you coming or not?”

“Y-you said you wanted to travel alone.”

“I changed my mind. Now hurry up before I change it back.”

Kitan got up, and made his way to Hermes. Though his leg was crippled, he forced himself to run on it. He teared up with every step, but it saved him enough time to make it. As he arrived, he was eventually able to pull himself onto Hermes.

“Do we have enough space, Hermes?”

“We should, I’ve taken two people before.”

“Excellent. Alright Kitan, I’m assuming you’ve never ridden a motorrad before?”

He shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”

“Just sit here and hold onto my waist tightly. Try to match my movements.”

Kitan sat down and held on to Kino for dear life. Kino looked to the rear one last time. The crowd was moving closer, but she still had enough time to relay one last message to the innkeeper, who was still watching.

“I’ll make sure he’s safe.”

The woman smiled, nodded, and waved. With that, Kino applied full throttle, and sped off towards the gate. As it was still relatively early, the streets were empty, which allowed them to speed along. Within a few minutes, they arrived at the outer gate, only to find it closed. 

“No… it’s solid metal, we can’t break through. What do we do now?”

“Do you people need any help?” A voice from the booth called.

It was the same guard who let Kino and Hermes in. Miraculously, he did not seem to be aware of today’s events.

“Leaving so soon? You’re going to miss the ceremony?”

“We’re truly sorry, sir. We wish we could make it, but there’s an emergency back home we must attend to. Can we try coming back next year?”

“I see. That’s quite a shame, but if you insist…” the guard took a closer look at the bike.

“Hold on, weren’t you only one person when you came here?”

Kino was almost found out. Thankfully, she remembered something: when they arrived, the guard gave them an extra ticket. She took them out and handed them to him.

“I’m not sure what you mean, sir. You checked in both of us. You even gave us both a ticket.” Kino handed the guard the two tickets.

“Huh, I did indeed. I could’ve sworn you were alone, but the tickets don’t lie. If you’re in an emergency, I wouldn’t want to keep you here. Farewell, and may luck watch over you.”

“Thank you, you as well.”

The gate opened for what seemed like an eternity. As soon as it gave them enough clearance, Kino shifted Hermes into gear and took off like a rocket.

“Let’s get as far away as possible. We’ve used up a ton of luck in the past few days. I don’t want to push it any further. There was an encampment about 50 km away. Let’s go there.”


	5. Chapter 5

\--Respite--

Despite the distance, it didn’t take long to reach the camp. Within 20 minutes, the pair of travelers had arrived. Kino had driven in, where she spotted a small patch of grass   
in a clearing. She maneuvered Hermes in before hopping off. Kitan followed suit. They then took a break and tried to make sense of the situation. 

Kitan appeared to be mildly distressed.

“Are you okay? You didn’t talk at all, and were squeezing the life out of me the entire time.”

“I’m fine, I just… I’m afraid of motorcycles.”

“Sorry about that, we didn’t have much of a choice.”

“N-no. I’m sorry for putting you through the trouble.” At that moment, a sharp pain shot up through Kitan’s leg.

“Ah-!”

“Are you alright?” Kino said as she crouched down next to him.

“On second thought… maybe not.”

“Oh, your leg! How is it feeling? I think I should take a look.”

Kino began to roll up Kitan’s trouser leg. He winced, but bit his lip and tried to stay quiet. Thankfully, there was only a little external bleeding. Kino cleaned up the blood, then checked the other side of his leg. She found it covered by a large, rather unsightly purple splotch. 

“Looks like the baton left quite a mark. Don’t worry though, it’s only a bruise. Just rest your leg, don’t push it too much, and you should be fine. Here, wait a minute. I’ll be right back.”

Kino began to search around the encampment for anything that could be of use. There, she found someone selling drinks out of a cooler. An idea sprang into her head.

“Excuse me sir, could I borrow some ice?”

“Go right ahead, I have plenty.”

“Thank you.”

Kino hurried back to Kitan and Hermes. Beginning to ruffle through the boxes on Hermes, she found an empty cloth sack. Taking it out and dropping the ice in, she handed it over to Kitan and instructed him to hold it to the bruise. 

“There. That should make it easier.”

“Thank you, Kino. Were you a doctor?”

“No, but you tend to pick up important survival skills as a traveler. If you’d like, I can teach you some of the basics.”

“R-really? I’d love that!”

Kino took the moment to explain to Kitan the essential medical skills. She showed him her first aid kit, explaining in detail the purpose of everything in it, from the alcohol to the gauze. Once she ended her lecture, the two sat down and began to plan their next moves. Kitan was trying to think of ideas.

“Alright, now that we’re safe, at least for now, what do you want to do? I didn’t start the day with the expectation that I’d be leaving home, and to be honest, I still don’t think I’ve fully processed it yet. There are just so many things to take in that I quite simply don’t even know where to start.”

“Well, let’s start from the beginning. Normally, I travel alone, so having someone with me is something that I’m not used to, and I’m not sure if I’ll like it. On the other hand, this is the first time you’ve ever stepped foot outside your country, and if I left you alone, you’d probably end up getting yourself killed. Thus, I don’t think it’d be wise to abandon you. Now, I could drop you off somewhere safe. Problem is, the only safe place I know is a long, long way out.”

Kino sat still for a moment, trying to think of what to do next.

“Given everything that’s happened today, I think it’d be wise if we stayed put for today. With your leg, travelling would be rather difficult. Let’s just rest, and we’ll figure out what to do tomorrow.”

“Alright. I’ll just stay here then.”

Kino began to unpack her camping supplies. Selecting a spot not too far from where they were parked, she began to pitch the tent. Once finished, Kino walked back over to where Hermes and Kitan were. Or, were they were supposed to be. Hermes was still there, but Kitan had wandered off somewhere.

“Where’d Kitan go?”

“He went over to the left, he said he wanted to try something.”

Kino walked over to the direction Hermes indicated. A series of loud bangs had keyed her into the location of a small firing range, full of travelers practising their persuader skills. To her surprise, Kitan was standing behind the main group, holding a persuader in his hands. He was examining it carefully.

“Kitan. Where did you get that?”

“Oh, this? This is the persuader I picked up from that guard’s body back in the city. I decided to keep it.”

“Please be careful with that. Persuaders are incredibly dangerous.”

“I know, I know. I just… I wanted to take a look at it. I’m too scared to fire it anyway.”

“Please give that to me, I want to make sure that it’s safe.”

Kitan handed over the weapon to Kino. It was rather simple compared to most others she’d seen, with plain metal forming most of the essential parts. It had a small magazine in the front, which, upon examination, appeared to be chambered for pistol calibre bullets. The frame-like metal stock could be folded, allowing it to be concealed more easily.

“Did you take anything else?”

Kitan produced a small magazine, which was full of bullets, before handing it over.

“Please don’t scare me like that again.”

“Sorry Kino.”

“It’s alright. Persuaders are something every traveler should have, anyway. I just wanted to teach you how to use them so you won’t hurt myself. Here, I’m not familiar with this exact model, but I can teach you the basics.”

Kino unfolded the stock, then walked Kitan over to an empty firing port. 

“So, the most important thing you need to learn are the three basic safety rules. It is essential that you make these a habit. Always treat a persuader like it is loaded, even, no especially if you think it isn’t. Never, under any circumstances point the persuader at anything you’re not willing to destroy. Finally, keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to fire. Got it?”

Kitan nodded his head.

“Ok. Now, let me teach you how to actually fire. First, put the magazine in. Cock the bolt back, and then use the iron sights to aim at your target. Make sure you put your weight on your front foot, and hold the gun like this.”

Kino demonstrated the proper firing stance, before handing the persuader to Kitan. He took it in his hands, then aimed at a target down range. He pulled the trigger, and…  
Nothing happened.

“Give it back to me for a second. Ah, here’s your problem, the safety’s on. Give me one second.”

Kino examined the fire selector, before notching it to the “1” position.

“So, most persuaders have safeties so you don’t accidentally fire it. However, you must always obey the basic safety rules, even when it’s on.”

Kino handed the weapon back to Kitan. He tried again, lining up his sight before squeezing the trigger once more. This time, a shot rang out. Kitan proceeded to drop the weapon and unceremoniously fall over, clutching his ears.

“Grrragh, loud!”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just wasn’t prepared for the noise.”

Kino couldn’t resist giggling a little. “You get used to it. Come on, let’s get you back up.”

As Kino lifted Kitan back on his feet, she remembered something.

“Wait a minute, you were firing fine back when we were in the city.”

“Ah, I guess my brain stopped paying attention and went into emergency mode. Now that I’m more calm, I think I’m actually registering the noise.”

“Makes sense. Here, I have a pair of earplugs. Not everyone uses them, but you’d probably like them.”

Kino put the earplugs on before trying his hand at shooting once more. This time, he was able to fire off multiple shots in a row. His aim wasn’t the best, but he did manage to hit the target a few times.

“You got it! That’s very good! How does it feel?”

“It’s a bit scary, but I also feel… excited? Maybe, I could grow to like this.”

“It can be fun! You always have to remember though, persuaders are tools, not toys. They are more than capable of causing death, and unfortunately, that is often their purpose. You never want to have to use it, but you should always be prepared.”

Kino put her arm around Kitan.

“You’re learning quickly, but you’re still a beginner, though. I think it would be best if we traveled to some low risk areas first, so you can get your footing. Problem is, I’ve already been to the closest countries around here, and while they’re not terribly dangerous, I definitely would not recommend them to beginners.”

One of the other travelers at the encampment overheard their conversation, and came in to speak.

“There’s a very beautiful country to the west. It’s a bit out there but it sounds like the perfect destination for you two. The journey’s quite safe, and the country very pleasant.”

“Ah, perfect. Can you give us directions?”

“Sure thing. You know the main road south of here? Once you hit it, just go west. It’s quite well marked, so you’ll know when you get there. If you’ve got a vehicle, it’s about half a day’s journey.”

“Sounds good, thank you for the information. Alright Kitan, looks like we’ve got our first destination. Come on, let’s get some rest. It’s getting late, and we want to have energy for the journey.”

The two walked back to the tent, where they informed Hermes about the plan. They were to leave the next morning, so Kino made sure everything was in order before they went to bed.

“Alright, that takes care of everything. Come on, Kitan, I’ve got two sleeping bags out in the tent. Let’s head inside.”

Kino and Kitan went to bed for the night. When morning came, Kino made sure to get up as early as she could. When she looked next to herself, however, Kitan had once again wandered off.

“This boy, I swear…”

Kino lifted up the tent flap and looked around. Thankfully, Kitan had not gone far. He was sitting next to Hermes, with his eyes on the road.

“Kitan, bad things are going to happen if you keep wandering off like that. How long have you been out here?”

“An hour.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m making sure the people from back home aren’t following us.”

“Kitan, if they were following us, wouldn’t they be here already?”

“Yes.”

“Then please relax, we’re about to leave. You don’t need to worry about them anymore. Now, it’s going to be a bit of a long journey, so let’s get going as soon as we can.”

Kino and Kitan put away the tent, and Kino double checked everything to make sure it was in order. Once she was satisfied, she climbed on Hermes and beckoned for Kitan to follow. The motorrad’s engine roared to life as the trio set a course for their next destination, on their first journey together.


End file.
